Only problem: tackling skills gap becomes even tougher Optimism among manufacturers hits a high again in the latest quarterly survey of the sector. Slightly more than 92% of U.S. manufacturers responding to a survey from the National Association of Manufacturers say they are either “somewhat or very positive” about their companies’ outlooks, a record high. […]

Mobile, Ala., facility to double in area and employees AeroStar, an electromechanical company that maintains aerospace and aviation components, plans to expand its Mobile, Ala., facility in both workforce and square footage. The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce reportedly released information on the planned expansion March 1. Plans call for a 16,875-square-foot building to be added […]

130 jobs to reborn manufacturing facility in Missouri White River Marine Group, the manufacturing arm of Bass Pro Shops, announced February 21 that it plans to reopen its facility in Bolivar, Missouri in response to strong customer demand and an expanding market for its award-winning family of boat brands. The largest boat manufacturer in the […]

Harley-Davidson to shut down Kansas City plant, lay off 800 The most recognizable motorcycle manufacturer in the world, a brand long representative of American culture, will shut down a heartland facility by 2019 at the expense of 800 employees. Harley-Davidson announced Tuesday it will close its Kansas City production premises by next summer. Part of a […]

Sam’s Club layoffs nationwide show no mercy Walmart‘s customers and employees joined the ranks of the disgruntled January 11 when the company announced plans to close at least 63 of its Sam’s Club stores across the US and in Puerto Rico. Multiple reports of abrupt store closings started last Thursday—the same day parent company Walmart […]

News from multiple locations right down the spine of the U.S. While worldwide conglomerates General Electric and Siemens made national headlines this week for undesirable reasons that are likely to have sprawling international ripple effects, a handful of examples of less-heralded companies made valuable additions or significant moves to locations in the heart of the […]

German automaker to invest $1B in Alabama plant Another gesture towards the potency of the electric vehicle market was made September 21, with a high-line German car builder also opting to ‘reshore’ 600 American jobs in the process. Germany’s Daimler said it will invest $1 billion to expand its U.S.-based Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama to […]

Manufacturing Advisory Council disbanded, plants continue to close The Manufacturing Advisory Council was one of two such business advisory assemblies disbanded Wednesday afternoon following the departure of multiple CEOs over the previous two days. These departures included Inge Thulin, CEO of St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M, and Rich Kyle of The Timken Company (headquartered in North Canton, […]

Latest jobs report shows positive signs for manufacturing The latest BLS jobs report: Highs, lows, with a side of salt. Job openings have hit an all-time high. That sounds good, but many experts are heeding caution. Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector is performing at an unexpectedly robust level, continuing a pattern that has now powered through […]

Preformed Windings announces North American expansion English coil manufacturer Preformed Windings has announced it will open a new manufacturing facility in the U.S. to supply rapid response coils for medium and high voltage applications. For our regular readers, this is the second onshore plant opening we’ve reported on in this newsletter in as many weeks. […]